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Grief Adaptation Methods

Everyone deals with grief at one point or another. Grief can make a person feel hopeless, depressed, anxious, and stressed. While the cause, nature, and extent of these feelings does vary, there are certain ways to cope and adapt. Knowing some of these methods will not make the problem go away, but it can ease the process and prevent it from interfering with daily functions.

  1. Helping Yourself

    • Seek support, either from family, friends or special support groups. Find ways to express yourself by telling others how you feel. Eat properly, get enough rest, keep in touch with your doctor, and avoid using medication or alcohol to cope. Put off any large changes, such as moving, getting a new job, marrying or having another child. Adjusting to the loss is crucial before moving on. Getting over grief can take months or even years; seek professional help if the grief becomes too much to deal with.

    Helping Others

    • Sometimes, a close friend or loved one will end up dealing with grief. Naturally, you will feel inclined to help, so there are a few approaches to keep in mind. While an automatic reaction may be to try and console him, sometimes it is better not to say anything. Many grieving individuals just want to be heard, so the best thing you can do for him is listen. Another important thing to do is allow the person to grieve. While wanting to lift his pain is a perfectly good intention, it is not the best idea. People need to mourn and allow their feelings to pass on their own. A third way to help is by offering assistance with daily needs. Tasks like transportation, paying bills or obtaining food can fall by the wayside after a loss; ask how you can help with these, or just go ahead and complete chores you know are being neglected.

    Learning from Grief

    • Regardless of whether it is you or someone else that is grieving, learning from it is valuable and an excellent way to cope. When working through such trials, it often makes the subject feel more in touch with reality. A grieving person may even feel like they have benefited in some way. By understanding the grief, you can begin to accept things such as your own mortality or the many uncertainties that life brings.

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